Wash plug



June 17, 1952 R. J, GOLLONG 2,600,638

WASH PLUG Filed May l2, 1948 Patented June 17, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE:

WALSH PLUGA i RichardV Julius ."Gollong, Wilmington; Del., asf-` signorwto- American Viscose Corporationy Wilmington, Del., a corporation-ofDelaware.

ApplicationMay 12, V1948, Serial N 0.126.501

9 Claims..v (Cl. 299-58) This iinvention relates f to` 'apparatus lfor fine.'

stream; distribution of liquids; particularly to such agencies asmay beempl'oyed to uniformly'k distribute'` liquids on continuously moving maf-i terials 4in .the Wet processing fof ssheet', Woven;' o'r strand materials. 'i

Itisxhighlyvadvantageous at-times to apply Water of liquids Vina multiplicityuo'f small streams f tosuch materials asV may'V continuously be carried* along cna conveyorcor over a roll. asin the con-V` tinuous processing `ofvv artificial strand 'materials f such?V 'as viscose-rayon y by tithe f Wetcfr continuous .1'

process. Applicationoffthe liquid reagents must betaccurate andv carefully'. directed.: particularly when the treatment of materials is effected by ne streainsdropped or otherwise directed upon thevk strands,. inorder'toeflicientlyA utilize :said

reagents and: to l obtain strands :of VVuniform` quality. Heretofore; devices 'suoliperforated pipes*v and attachable Weir-troughsior boxes have been g employed inv obtaining the flnefstream division Vdesired =in| continuous strand treatment.'

Perforated pipes have as principal vdisadvantages clogging,- lackl of flexibility instream regulation,

variationv of 4stream size resulting from @pressure gradient foccurring -along a lengthof such pipe;v inconvenience in time consumed inreplacingv or repairing such a pipe during continuous operation, and difficulty in maintaining all the orices in uniform free-owing condition. On theotherjhand, Weir troughsare-necessarily Iof Aex v pensive construction since they require accuratelyV spaced and shaped Weirsand liquideconducti ing. A"grooves, Considerable corrosion-'resistant material goes intotheir construction I and they i must be formed -by expensive` molding fprojcesses.

Moreover; intheA modern rayon spinning plant,A

thousands of such troughs or boxes'aref'required to deliverliquidto the=`large1number ofpspinning? units 4customarily'operated:r l In orderv that stream uniformity beobtainedfrom all of the weirsion a single-box; each box-mustrbe mounted in 'perfect horizontal alignment. Hitherto' these' boxes--have Vbeen; fixed` to a supporting-#structure and-are not-l readily replaceable Without,A considerablev expenditure of tiin-andllabon 1 Aslprincipal objects ofztheiinventiony apx'aratusz` is 1provided'*fori-lne' stream liquid"l distribution upon f' running `surfaces: whereby uniformity 1 in spacingyandow `of sepa-'rate streams4 is obtairied;j also apparatus is provided pwhich isfex'- tremely simple and* lends` itself to interchange ability;` standardizationr andrepla'ceability';

furthermore,v it lmustv bei" quite-1 ineXp'ensive'andl capable-of being replacedinstantaneously'lsd 'asf not to .interrupt the strand` 'treatment ,process and "thus "-result in the occurrence of excessive ject also to providea fluid-distributionlap;

paratus `suitable for serving'xmany` machines ofl similar structure in spacedvjarrangement: -suchfas found Yin the modern artnicial-iilamentfpro-` ducing factory. Still anotherobj ect-is to `pro- Y vdeapparatus of which regulatory devices con` trolling the flovv of liquidsvvare accessible'. forinstant replacement. f Other objects; features andy advantages ofthe invention- Willbe apparent fromthe following description -of-ftne inventionand'gtlie drawings.

In the drawings illustrative lof the invention.v

Fig. l is a top view of a preferred embodiment:

Fig. 2 is a side viewr ofthe devicejshown in- Fig. 3 is a diametric sectionof -thek-device of` Fig; l along line III-III;-

Fig. Ai is/another diametric-section of the device of Fig. -1 taken along line Ill-. IV;

Fig 5 is a side view ofa modied forrmofv-the'- deviceshown in Fig. r1;

Fig.- 6 isa top view -of f anothermodication-of 9 the invention;

Fig.-7 is still another modication.of-theydevice shown in Fig.- 1;

Fig.8 is a side` sectionalview of apparatus shown in Fig. V7;

Figs. 9 andflOfv illustratethefuse of--screen s A relative rto thel invention;

ligsilLlZ and 13 are diagramaticftop-,fend; and-"sideL views, respectively; of strand process-. ing machinery;illustratingtheuse oii` the inven-` tion;

Broadly',ithe invention comprises a conduit such as a trough :or tankextending' overzoneifori more conveyors or thread-storing, .threadadvancing devices," such. as thread-advancing', vreels, orV canted rolls 21 theY bottomxof theluconduit-being. suitably'apertured to V-rec'eive `slotted or? aper.-y f tured' i plugs-i fashioned according to the :inven-il tion!- For use-with;thread-advancing4 devices, thetroughlor'itanksmaywextend lengthwise or4 transversely 'to'l'the axis of one. or more offsuch devices. Thread advancement along such rolls is in a direction generally parallel to their axes. The plugs are slotted in such a manner that the slots extend vertically along the sides of the plug or they may be longitudinally apertured as by holes obtained by drilling the plug. The slots or apertures are accurately cut to provide any predetermined cross-sectional area and may be spaced along the sides or interior of the plug to give any predetermined distribution upon the thread conveyor of a liquid supplied to the trough. The pattern of openings, if more than one is involved, along the trough bottom may be in any arrangement necessary to provide proper and adequate stream distribution for the strandcarrying devices to which the conduit is intended to supply liquid.

Figure l is a top view of a fluid distributing plug according to the invention. Plug 29 as seen in Figure 2 has an annular flange portion, the lower side 2l of which serves as a supporting surface when the plug is placed within an aperture such as apertures 22 extending through the bottoms of troughs '24 as seen in Figures 11 to 13, inclusive. the top and has a general cylindrical body 23. Slots 25 extend along the side of the plug parallel with its axis at circumferential intervals. An important factor controlling the design of the plug is that the arrangement of the slots 25 is such that liquid streams issuing therefrom do not merge. It is found that the slots should not be closer than about 1/; for water or liquids of similar physical properties. However, in order to obtain this spacing of the slots, the lower extremities thereof terminate in extensions 26 of the outside walls of the plug. These extensions may be wedge-shaped as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 or square-cornered, as shown in Fig. 9, so long as they are of suiicient length to overcome the capillarity of the water which tends to conduct Water to points between adjacent slots and subsequently fill up the intervening space with liquid. Once the intervening space is lled with water,

a common stream is established for two or more slots. Similarly, the central portion of the lower end of a plug must be recessed to avoid diametrical bridging or merging of the liquid.

Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate a conical recess 21 as embodied in the plug 20, the sides of which preferably should not have an angle greater than with the axis of the plug. Figs. 3 and 4 illustrate diierent diametrical cross-sections of the plug 29 in order to show the depth and shape of the slots 25.

Since apertures are not easily formed through the wall of the conduit which t the shoulder 2| of the plug 20 to the degree needed to prevent leakage between the plug and the periphery of the aperture 22, a thin resilient sleeve or bushing- 30 may be provided around the plug 20 covering the surface of shoulder 2| as shown in Fig. 4. A slightly larger aperture 22 may be provided to give additional clearance for insertion of a plug having a bushing therearound.

Fig. 5 illustrates another plug 28 which may be inserted into an aperture, such as aperture 22, by its bottom or top portion. Slots 29 may be of the same cross-section or size on either the top or bottom portion so that if slots of one portion become clogged, the plug may be readily removed and its opposite end inserted into the aperture. The slots 29 terminate in extensions 3l of either body portion of the plug. The construction of this plug 28 may be similar in all respects to the Plug 2l! is round when viewed from construction of plug 20 except for its duplicating portion.

As another modification of the plugs already shown, Fig. 6 illustrates a plug 32 wherein round holes 3| extend through the body portion of the plug and conduct the liquid from the trough bottom in lieu of the slots 25 of the plug 20. However, the fluid entrances to the holes are more subject to clogging but are also easier to clean than the entrances to the slots and if desired, a filtering means may be provided to properly lter a liquid before passing through a plug. Screens may be placed over each plug such as screen 33, as shown in Fig. 9, which rests upon a flange portion 34 of the plug 35; or screen 36, as shown in Fig. 10, which rests upon the upper fiat surface of a grommet 38a about the plug 35a. In the absence of a grommet the screen may rest upon the surface of the trough about the plug. Such screens may be used advantageously in connection with any of the plugs herein described. Fig. l0 illustrates a plug 35a. having a relatively long gently-tapered shoulder portion 2la. The tapered surface tends to wedge tightly Within the grommet 38a, forming thereby, a structure which is highly resistant to leaking.

Fig. '1 illustrates a non-circular plug 31 which may be of suicient length to extend substantially across the trough 24 and to serve in place of several circular plugs such as the plugs 20. Obviously the amount and distribution of treating liquid may be regulated by having several interchangeable plugs of standard size such as the plug 31 but with different slot spacing and slot size.

A side view of the plug 31 is shown in Fig. 8 wherein it is shown inserted into a grommet 38 and having body extensions 39 in which the liquid conducting slots 39a, terminate. In non-circular or large plugs, such as plug 31, it may be more difcult to obtain non-leakable seating of the plug along the conduit surface surrounding an aperture. For this reason, therefore, a resilient grommet 38 of elastic material moulded to a shape which i'lts tightly in a stretched condition about the sides of plug 31, is placed in the trough bottom to provide a yielding leakprooi seat such as described for the circularlyshaped plugs. The inner peripheries of such grommets may be considered as defining the openings of the conduits into which the plugs are inserted. Such grommets may be of a vuloanized rubber composition or of any elasticplastic material suitable for resisting the swelling action of such liquids as may be handled.

Figs. 1l to 13, inclusive, show top and side views of a continuous strand treating arrangement wherein the strand to be treated is introduced onto one end of a reel 40 and subjected to several different treating operations before being withdrawn from the opposite end of the reel. In typical plant conditions, several hundred or more of such reels might be placed in parallel arrangement and identical operations carried out on all reels. Under such conditions, a long trough 24 may be extended across many of such reels with apertures in the bottom immediately over each reel over which the trough extends. Several of such troughs may be placed side by side as shown in Figs. 1l, 12 and 13 in a parallel arrangement for handling the different liquids necessary for accomplishing separate treatments carried out simultaneously on a single reel 4U, but duplicated on all the reels 40. The present invention provides an extremely simple and in- 53 expensive-arrangement fori supplying liquids for suchQ-a -systemof reelsas shown... in Figurelyll. Suchdiquid distribution-isapplicable to any-.runni-ng'- thread-advancing or storing devices#V or rotors such' forexample -an interd-igitatingA i-reel or a two-rotor system-wliereinrunning strandiis advanced @along- -ca-n-ted- 'rolls .thi-rough successive convolutions aboutthe.rotors. f

The .uidjdistributing plugs orlinserts herein described Care lJnotnecessari-ly'restricted toever-` tical gravity-directed streams suchas producedwhenthe inserts 4extend-through the bottomcwall of a conduit, "althougl-i-they-i4 are` most satisfac) torilyemployedJn-this --manner`.l Such plugs` orA inserts may be used-'toiproject liquid at any angle and liquid may be forced through them at any desirediliquid head or pressure;` As used in'yrayon processes, they normallyproject through the bottom of an open top conduit and are subjected to a, practically negligible pressure of liquid maintained at a height of an inch or so. The liquid after passing through the inserts drops into thread-advancing reels. The liquid flows downward over the rolls along the advancing thread and is recovered as it drops olf the rolls di) into means such as the catch basins lll. Since the liquid-carrying slots in the plugs extend upwards through the supporting flange or shoulder, an appreciable section of the slots are exposed to the liquid-carrying region of the trough or conduit. Any particles which tend to clog the' slots are retained first across the base of the portion of the slots exposed to the conduit interior, flush with the peripheral surface of the plug or the shoulder thereof, leaving an appreciable entrance to the slot above the clogged portion through which liquid may enter. On account of this construction, inserts such as plug 20 do not clog readily and their condition as to sediment co1- lection may be easily observed before the streams issuing from the plugs are visibly alfected.

As indicated hereinbefore, the minimum size of such plugs is governed by the minimum spacing and the number of the orices, slots, or apertures desired through the plug. It is preferable in most liquid treating processes to space the apertures not less than one half of an inch apart. For example, the minimum diameter for a sixslot plug of generally cylindrical shape is approximately one inch.

In the practice of the invention very satisfactory six-slot plugs were used having a body portion diameter of 1.12 inches and a diameter through the supporting ange of 1.37 inches. The slots extended longitudinally -the entire length of the plug and ranged from 0.03 to 0.07 of an inch across on various plugs and 1/8 of an inch deep. As shown in the drawing, the plugs of the various embodiments are of unitary construction comprising a single material. The plugs were made preferably from ceramic material, although serviceable plugs for handling acid solutions used in viscose rayon making were made from molded Bakelite. The material for making the plugs, however, will be indicated by the corrosion problem attendant upon the handling of any specic type liquid to which the plugs are to be exposed. Other materials available are aluminum, stainless steel, porcelainized metal, and resin-coated metal:

Plugs or inserts according to the invention have a decided advantage over devices heretofore used, in that the plugs constitute the principal means of stream control and may be exposed and open to visual inspection at all times. Plugs may be changed:instantaneously-byr; workmen :wearing adjustment ori .i'exchangers of 'streamfregulating apparatus on a moderni artificial filament spinning. machine;4 L" Mreov'eni the-.irate 'of flow throughi. `the 'J-plu-gs-i l fnot f greatly '3 effected i by variations of aninch-.or 4'so'.fin-the'isupply .conduit or trough. By using simple troughs equipped with lplugslaccordingato lthfe invention, the complex arrangements of piping, valving and expensive equipment attendant upon the use of weir boxesor perforatedvpipesfis eliminated. Moreover, the invention reduces the-skill and care necessary forithe, operation of line-stream producing equipment.

Whil'eapreferred embodiments have been shown, itisiunde''stood that changes and' variations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In combination, a liquid distributing insert of unitary construction and a liquid conduit wall having an opening therethrough, said insert comprising a body portion having a peripheral surface adapting it to be inserted through and to fit within the opening and having an end-sunface disposed exteriorly of the conduit when the insert is positioned in the opening, a shoulder portion extending outwardly from the peripheral surface for engaging the inner surface of the conduit adjacent the opening to support the insert therewithin, extensions of the body portion projecting from said end-surface in a direction away from the conduit with adjacent extensions being spaced peripherally along the outer margin of the end-surface at least one half inch apart measured from center to center, a straight passageway extending lengthwise of the insert along its outer surface from the outer end of each extension centrally thereof into communication with the interior of the conduit.

2. A liquid distributing insert as dened in claim 1 wherein the side surfaces of the body extensions extend from the body portion in a direction parallel to the lengthwise direction of the passageways.

3. A liquid distributing insert as defined in claim 1 wherein the extensions are truncated and the side surfaces thereof are inclined with respect to the lengthwise direction of the passageways.

4. A liquid distributing insert and a conduit in accordance with claim l, the conduit having a round opening and the peripheral surface of the insert adjacent the shoulder portion being circular and complementary in contour with said opening.

5. A liquid distributing insert as dened in claim l, the insert being unitary in construction and comprising a single material, and the passageways being peripherally spaced narrow slots extending inwardly from the peripheral surface and the surface of the shoulder portion.

6. A liquid distributing insert as defined in claim l for an elastic grommet-lined opening, said insert having a gently tapered shoulder for engagement with the grommet.

7. A liquid distributing insert as defined in claim 1 wherein the insert has upper and lower slotted body portions with the shoulder portion extending outwardly from the juncture of the body portions, said body portions being substantially similar in cross sectional contour and being insertable within the same conduit wall opening.

8. A combination as. defined in claim 1 comprising a pre-shaped screen of such a mesh that the interstices are smaller than the insert passageways for placing over the portion of the insert projecting into the conduit.

9. A combination as defined in claim 8 wherein the screen has a rim adapted to t about the portion of the insert projecting inwardly of the conduit.

RICHARD JULIUS GOLLONG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 916,984 Bleymehl Apr. 6, 1909 Number Number Name Date Morison July 19, 1910 Heldt Nov. 29, 1910 Briggs July 16, 1912 Page Nov. 10, 1925 Stocker Feb. 21, 1928 Schacht Feb. 7, 1933 Stringer Dec. 26, 1933 Knebusch et al. Sept. 15, 1936 Gessler June 18, 1940 Stoeckly June 18, 1940 Elliott Aug. 13, 1940 Frohwein June 23, 1942 Salemme Mar. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain 1872 

